Men: Winter is coming. It’s time to change up your regimen if you want to avoid waking up in April with a face that feels like an old catcher’s mitt.

Winter is tough on skin. Over the coming weeks, the days will start to get cooler, the air will get dryer, and you’ll start feeling the effects even before the deep freezes set in.

Here’s what happens: In the summer, when the thermometer rises, you skin produces more oil, which keeps it soft and healthy-looking. But cold and wind pull moisture from the skin, leaving it scaly, rough, and dull. Sudden changes in temperature (moving from your heated car to the icy parking lot, for example) can be harsh, particularly for those with naturally dryer skin. We also tend to drink less water when it’s cold –and the drying effects can be extreme, causing lips to chap and raw skin to crack and even bleed. The sensitive areas above and below your eyes can be prone to redness and inflammation in times of low humidity. Even the extra clothes we wear in colder months create friction against the skin, and at the same time, coldness causes capillaries to constrict, reducing blood flow through the skin and making it more prone to irritation.

So, ouch! But taking care of your winter skin is just a matter of adapting your routine with a few simple steps. Here’s our how-to guide to get you prepped:

Cleanse Gently

Start your transition to a winter routine with your morning shower. Keep your shower temperatures lukewarm – steaming hot showers just amplify irritation. Now is also the time to switch to a gentle soap like Acca Kappa's Giallo Ellicriso Bath & Shower Gel that nourishes instead of stripping the skin of moisture. Borghese’s classic blend is made from botanical extracts blended with almond and olive oil to soothe and provide a natural moisture barrier that also smells dreamy.

Another great option is Tuttotondo's Scherma Hair and Body Wash, with hemp oil for extra moisture, along with coffee extract to invigorate tired skin.

And remember your scalp and hair. Just like skin, that harsh winter weather can leave hair brittle and coarse. A gentle cleansing shampoo like Acca Kappa’s 1869, paired with a deep hydrating conditioner and followed up Perlier’s Imperial Honey Hair Serum will help restore volume and vitality.

Add Moisture

The must-have for men in winter is an all-over multipurpose moisturizer like Perlier’s Hemp Oil for Face, Body, and Hair that gets your skin hydrating as soon as you’re out of the shower. It’s a skincare secret weapon. The hemp seed oil won’t clog pores, and it’s so concentrated that a small amount goes a long way – perfect if you want to use it liberally on both your body and face.

Then give your face a little extra attention with Titanyum’s intensive moisturizing face creams, designed specifically for men’s skin. This will add another layer of non-greasy nourishment when your face has to face the elements.

Then work Acqua Dell’Elba’s Sport Body Lotion for Him into your elbows, knees, and other rough patches that need a little more care. This luxurious formula is also infused with the brand’s vital Sport scent – a welcome hint of summer on a cold day.

Add More Moisture

Next, focus on some softening, soothing shaving products. After the shower – or, ideally, the night before – treat your pre-shave skin to a shea butter treatment from Saponificio Varesino 1945, specifically designed to fight dryness and promote elasticity and skin tone. If you apply it the night before shaving, your skin has all night to absorb the treatment before you pick up that razor in the morning. But even just a quick treatment a few minutes before you shave will prevent shaved areas from getting inflamed, abraded, and scaly.

Even the hair on your face needs an extra hit of moisture in winter to keep it smooth and healthy. Proraso’s fabulous Olio Da Barba Beard Oil is a favorite all year long, but especially when dry, heated indoor air takes a heavy toll.

And for an intensive moisture treatment, make the time for a deep-toning mask treatment like this Terre de Suà Smoothing Skin Mask from B&C Natura, designed to minimize skin irritation while gently exfoliating and renewing moisture-starved skin.

Add Moisture Where You Forgot to Add Moisture

Harsh winter sun and wind can be roughest on the most sensitive skin, so help rejuvenate and soothe the tender area around your eyes with Skin & Co Roma’s Truffle Therapy Eye Concentrate, part of the brand’s groundbreaking Truffle Therapy regimen, designed to protect from damaging environmental impacts and restore healthy, hydrated tissue. Just a few gentle taps around the eyes (don’t rub) will help avoid chapping and drying.

Lips are also a vulnerable area this time of year, so stock up on Tuttotondo’s nutrient-rich lip balms. Their prickly pear balm, with SPF 15 protection and antioxidant action, is designed to nourish lips that suffer from exposure to the elements all year long.

While you’re at it, grab some of their Riso Hand Cream to keep handy in your car or backpack. Its restorative formula includes rice oil and linen seed extracts, and it’s a great supplement to the Parco1923 pump hand cream you should keep by your computer for massaging into your hands throughout the day.

And don’t forget your feet. In summer, sandal season, they get a lot more care, but heavy cold-weather footwear also can leave them in need of some love. We recommend applying Perlier’s Hemp Leg & Feet Balm at night before bed to quench tired, achy feet and restore rich emollients to heels and toes.

Drink Extra Water and Turn on a Humidifier

Clearly, we’re all about adding that moisture because hydration – inside and out – is the key to looking healthy and glowing all year long. So while you’re taking care of your skin and hair, make sure to keep your water intake up, too. And a humidifier that adds a little desperately needed humidity to your indoor air will also make a noticeable difference.

That’s our formula – pretty simple, but we promise you’ll notice the difference next spring when it’s time to peel off the layers and get back outside. So get your new routine ready, and let it snow!